Monthly Archives: August 2012

This was a tough bit of news for us to take in: the passing of Lupe Ontiveros, an award-winning actress with more than 150 films and TV shows to her credit and a longtime community activist. On July 26, Lupe passed away at the age of 69 after a brief battle with liver cancer.

Lupe worked tirelessly in film and television, paving the way for many Latinas to carve out their own path in Hollywood. One of our favorite memories of Lupe was her winning the “Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series” ALMA Award in 1998 for her work in the show “Veronica’s Closet.” You can see her below with the award.

As fans, friends, and family members continue to mourn the loss of such a dynamic role model, actress, and icon, NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía had the following words to offer on the news of Lupe’s passing:

“The Latino community has lost one of its most talented members and one of its fiercest champions. Lupe was one of the most recognized Latinas in film and television, with an acclaimed career spanning nearly 40 years. From sitcoms to TV dramas, Oscar-winning movies to independent film, from the Broadway stage to Latino theater, Lupe did it all and made her mark on every production she was in.

“If there was a call for a Latina ‘mamá’ or ‘abuela,’ you could bet that Lupe would be playing the part. But she was also a ‘mamá’ to hundreds of Latino and Latina actors whom she mentored and helped shepherd through the complicated maze of the film and television industry. We are especially proud and grateful that she was a strong supporter of the NCLR ALMA Awards® from the very beginning. Her blessing helped make the show the place to be for Latino talent in Hollywood.

“She was a tireless advocate for the Latino community, whether it was improving the image of Latinos in the media or helping those suffering from HIV/AIDS. We will miss her dearly, and our deepest condolences go out to her family, friends, colleagues, and fans,” concluded Murguía.

If you’d like to share your own reflections, please feel free to do so. Our thoughts continue to be with Lupe’s family and friends as they cope with this untimely loss.

Like all Americans, Latino voters place jobs and the economy at the top of their list of concerns this year. The transportation sector alone directly employs more than one million Latinos. That’s why NCLR was pleased that Congress reauthorized comprehensive surface transportation policy on June 30, just hours before the current extension of transportation policy was set to expire. The legislation, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, or MAP-21, was signed by President Obama on July 6 and will be active until September 2014.
While the effect of the reauthorization on the economy will be positive, it will likely be a bumpy road for the next two years. Here’s why.

NCLR identified four policy priorities for Latinos in transportation reauthorization:

Improve job opportunities for Latinos in the transportation sector

Ensure authentic community involvement in local transportation planning and decision-making

Defend public transportation as a vital lifeline

Promote safety for pedestrians and bikers.

By these measures, the final legislation is bittersweet. While preserving some of the positives from the carefully-crafted Senate bill passed in bipartisan fashion in March, the law still contains “potholes” that could imperil Latinos and other communities of color.

First, the final bill includes funding for bike and pedestrian projects, but lawmakers left the decision about how to spend these funds up to the states. In other words, states and local areas could divert money from the construction of a desperately-needed pedestrian bridge to construct a new highway onramp.

A second NCLR priority, transportation enhancements, or Safe Routes to School, was cut completely in the compromise. This is disappointing, since we know that minority and low-income communities rely the most heavily on safe biking and walking routes, and account for the majority of pedestrian deaths.

Finally, NCLR is concerned that the new law could undermine public participation in the transportation planning process, which all too often excludes voices from the populations most directly affected by transportation decisions: minorities, low-income communities, and people with disabilities. Policymakers adjusted the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, to speed up some aspects of transportation planning, at the risk of bypassing vulnerable communities altogether. While not as extreme as some of the environmental “steamrolling” proposals that cropped up earlier in the debate, the language in the final bill sets a negative precedent for democratic participation in local decision-making.

Two years is welcome for a sluggish economy but a blink of an eye for policymaking. NCLR is committed to monitoring implementation of transportation reauthorization and helping to pave the way for strong legislation in 2014.